To answer a question from the previous chapter: Yes. I can write longer chapters. Some of what I write is longer and some is shorter. It's okay. I write what feels natural and I try not to drag things out. Some people can do that and keep it interesting, but I don't care to. :)

Six days passed without incident. People stayed in. Doors and windows were bolted. Businesses shut down early. Life seemed to come to a stand still as everyone sat and waited… waited for the next victim to appear.

The police had picked up a trail thanks to Ladybug and Chat Noir, but it had only gone so far. The Huntsman was good at covering his tracks.

With immanent danger looming at every corner, Adrien had had almost all of his photo shoots canceled making it easier to fit in extra patrols. Sometimes with his lady and sometimes without.

Chat Noir stood on the roof of a building watching the sun set on the horizon. Any other day, he would have considered it a breathtaking sight, but today it seemed only to be mocking him. The sun was leaving him to face darkness once more and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Where's the girl?" a voice asked from directly behind him.

Chat Noir yelped and spun around to look up into steely, grey eyes. He straightened, feigning confidence under the intense gaze. "Taipan, right? Wow, dude. Way to be creepy. Sneaking up on me wasn't all that cool, you know?" He twirled his baton. "So, uh, what've you been up to? And… why are you here?"

Taipan looked away from him. His eyes locked onto the sunset and he seemed to visibly relax. "Calm down, kid. I know I threatened you last time we spoke, but you and the girl have done pretty good at following my advice."

Chat grinned. "A compliment? I serpently wasn't expecting that. Guess we can bury the hatchet and consider your vulgarity hissstory."

Taipan blinked. "Nah. The threat still stands."

Silence.

"So? Where's the girl?"

Chat Noir flinched when Taipan suddenly moved to the edge of the building and sat down. He followed hesitantly. "You mean Ladybug."

Taipan leaned back a bit, looking up at the sky. "Yeah. I didn't see her go back to the bakery, so I figured she was on patrol with you. So, where is she?"

Chat Noir stared. "Bakery? What are you talking about?"

Taipan's brow arched. "Are you telling me you don't know? I thought the dumb, model thing was just a cover. Guess I was wrong then."

"M-model?"

The man sighed. "Okay. I'm not being fair to you, Adrien. The Kwami uses some of its power to confuse the minds of those around you to help keep your identity secret. Thing is–seriously, stop with the gawking–someone like me who spends every waking moment obsessing over answering the unanswerable questions, doesn't have that hard a time getting around the Kwami's magic."

Chat Noir sputtered. "I- I don't… I mean- I'm not- A-Adrien? Who's that?"

Taipan chuckled softly. "You're really horrible at that, kiddo. Go on. Call me Adrien."

Chat blinked a few times. "Um… Hi, Adrien."

Taipan stared blankly back. "Who?" His gaze softened and his eyes squinted with the grin hidden behind his mask. "See? Short and sweet. Don't act like you've been caught. Play it dumb, but don't be dramatic. Now tell me you figured out I'm actually Adrien."

Taipan had been terrifying a week ago. Now he was sitting on the roof chumming it up like an old pal giving some friendly advice. Chat smiled, playing along. "I know you're actually Adrien."

"Oh, do you now?" the man questioned with an air of humor.

"Are you denying it?" Chat continued.

"Believe what you want, pal. I'm just plain, old me. I've got nothing to hide."

"So you are then?"

"No," Taipan said simply. "My name's not Adrien. Sorry to disappoint." With that, he stood and strolled away. He stopped after a few feet and made an about face. "See how that works, Adrien?"

Chat stared blankly at him. "I'm sorry, who?"

Taipan laughed. "So he can be taught!" He strode back to the ledge, reclaiming his seat next to the young hero. They sat in comfortable silence as they watched the sun disappeared from the sky.

Chat Noir glanced at him from the corner of his eye. The light of the moon reflected in the gold flecks of his armor, other than that, however, he was just a solid shadow in the night. It was somewhat unnerving.

Chat considered his friendliness. Why was he here? Had he come looking for him or just happened to be in the same area? Why was he suddenly showing kindness?

"I've been following you and the bug for the last few days," Taipan offered as though he had somehow read the boy's thoughts. "You could both stand to be more cautious with your transformations."

Chat deflated.

"I'm not scolding you," Taipan said, noticing his mood change. "Just offering some advice. Like the identity thing. You're both young and still fairly new at this. Your Kwamies help you with their power, but they can only do so much."

"Why are you here?" the blonde asked quietly.

Taipan shrugged. "I'm hunting a serial killer. Don't tell me you already forgot."

"No, I mean here specifically." He made a point not to look directly at the man. It was weird. He had no idea who this Taipan person was or whether or not he could be trusted, but, for some reason, this stranger clad in black and gold made him wonder what it would be like to have a brother.

Taipan grew silent. He lifted his gaze to the sky, drumming his fingers against his knees. "Yeah… Um…" He sighed. "I was asked to tail you and the girl for a colleague of mine. Just doing my job, y'know?"

Chat frowned. "Weren't you just giving me tips on how to lie, like, two minutes ago? You're not very good at it."

Taipan shrugged. "I was coaching you on how to make a person doubt their belief on the matter by falsifying their claims to your identity. I never said you had to outright lie."

"You looked me in the eye and told me you weren't Adrien."

"I'm not Adrien. You are. I'm a vigilante named after a snake who dresses up like a comic book character and has an ego so big, I require two identities." He smirked behind his mask. "See? I didn't lie."

Chat Noir couldn't help laughing at that. "Okay, Mr. Ego, then why are you really here?"

The man thought about it. "Truth?"

"That would be nice."

"Okay." He stood. "I really was tailing you, kid. I noticed you seemed to be feline down so I thought I'd put the paws on my tough guy routine and see if I couldn't get you to crack another smile. After all, a depressed and witless Chat Noir would be a catastrophe of a hero to his beloved Purrisians."

Chat grinned stupidly at him.

"Well, then… Seeing as how my work here is done-"

"Wait!" Chat Noir jumped to his feet. "I, um…" he faltered. "So you know where Ladybug lives?"

The man watched him carefully. "Yes. Though I don't think that's the question you originally intended to ask. I can't imagine why, but you and your partner seem adamant about keeping secrets from each other."

The blonde studied his feet. "Do… Do you have family here in Paris?"

Taipan stilled. Why would he ask that? What did it matter? "That's a bit personal, kiddo. I'm sorry. I can't answer that."

"But… Are you… Are you alone then?"

He had seen that same look in the eyes of a thousand different people. An emptiness longing to be filled. A single life lost in a sea of faces. A lonely child looking for acceptance from anyone who would dare give it. Taipan had seen the look a thousand times before, yet he had never seen it directed at him.

He had no intention of buddying up to the boy. He wasn't even sure why he had felt the need to cheer him up. Okay, so yes, he was. He had been Adrien once. A stranger to the world, surrounded by people yet always alone. Maybe he had pitied the kid. It wasn't normal for him, but it could happen.

He had been keeping Marinette out of trouble all week, after all.

But why was he suddenly so interested in these two, little idiots?

He could leave. He didn't owe Chat Noir an answer. He could turn and leave without a word. It wouldn't be out of character.

So then why did he find himself stepping closer to the boy?

"Kid," he said, quietly. "You're only as alone as you choose to be. Your mom's gone. You feel like your dad's abandoned you while still trying to control your life." Maybe he was being too harsh here. He hadn't expected the kid to flinch at his words. "Look, some family you're born with. You can't get rid of them and they can't get rid of you. Even if sometimes you feel like they have. But some family, you choose. They're the people you trust. The people who care about you because they want to. Like your friend Nino. Or that Marinette girl." He was thankful his smirk was hidden behind his mask.

Chat smiled weakly. "Nino's cool. And Marinette… Well, she cares about everyone."

He rolled his eyes. "Riiiight." He placed a single hand on the teen hero's shoulder. "Kid, people like that are the family you count on. You look to them. You learn to trust them. When you feel alone, you think of them. You're allowed to choose your family." He turned and walked away.

Chat Noir watched as the stranger was swallowed by the dark. "I don't know why," he mumbled. "But I think I'd like to choose you as my family too, Taipan." He looked out over his beloved city. The darkness had engulfed it and there was nothing he could do about it. Yet, within the darkness there shone thousands upon thousands of lights. And in the sky, the moon and stars broke through the clouds and cast their light upon him.

"No matter how dark it gets, there will always be light," he assured himself. "And I'll always look for that light. And I'll fight for that light."

His stomach growled. "But for now," he laughed. "I think I'll go find some place to eat."

Have a break form serial killers for a little while. When he comes back, it won't be pretty. You've been warned.